GlassPeristyleProject

/Project / 2008

Glass
Peristyle is a radical artistic act, aimed to provoke a public discussion about
recent problem of extortion of the public space and deconstruction of
multilayered urban identity.

By expanding
the notion of the city into a virtual space, this project anticipates the worst
scenario by simulating the interpolation of a contemporary commercial facility
into the existing parameters of the ancient public square.

A new building functions like a tumor in the urban tissue of vital importance.

The project started on October 1st, 2008, by sending visual simulations
of the Glass Peristyle project and the accompanying architectural study
(website) to 3000 private and professional e-mail addresses, including those of
the important Croatian media and professional institutions (model).

The following day, anti-project groups were created on Facebook
and Google (which gathered several hundreds of members in no more than a couple
of hours); new topics were opened on four Croatian internet forums, and within
ten days, all relevant Croatian media services reported about the the project.

From the high intensity of rage in comments posted on Internet portals and from very disturbing answers received by e-mail, even from some professionals, it is possible to conclude that the project is not understood as a socio-political criticism, sarcasm or joke, but as a very serious architectural proposal!

The project has generated and virtually memorized a vivid reflection of disturbances in the social lethargy, where radical paradoxes are being produced, presented and accepted as something real and common.

„this is stupidity…Diocletian must be rolling in his grave right
now...Horror, I can’t believe that they will destroy our palace.” Aneloza

“If I only knew who made this...I would break his legs
” ribaK

“Person has to be
real retard to do something like this. This is never going to be happen!” nyby

“Build yourself a glass brain; it is better than no
brain at all!” mrgud

“...for the mother of god, don’t fuck around
with the Palace!”Kineski zid

“If they approve this, we can shoot ourselves one by
one…” Gogich

“It’s horrible! We have came
to phase in which no one asks if this is a joke? Is it??” Pile

The city’s major
Ivan Kuret was also active in the public discussion.
First he posted an opinion on a local web forum and
shortly after used the same idea for political promotion
in the following elections. Apparently, he lost the elections.

(„NO to shopping malls. We have chosen the town. Ivan Kuret“)

The author, playing the role of a worried citizen (amateur!), sent an e-mail with the project description to an architectural institution of national importance, and got this answer from a highly positioned professional:“Hello,

I assume you don’t expect to hear just our opinion! Is there anything you suggest?

Sincerely,Arch. XY “

Obviously, the simulation used to uncover manipulation within public space, became a manipulation itself!